Posts Tagged ‘chattanooga’
Please join us on Wednesday, March 31st for a lunch and learn presentation at green|spaces, a local non-profit that offers incentive funding for sustainable building projects. As part of the USGBC, we will speak on the economic and environmental benefits of recycling gray water and harvesting rainwater.
Since its beginnings, green|spaces has emerged as a unique resource center for commercial and residential projects in Chattanooga, showcasing the best eco-friendly materials and methods to conservationists, architects, engineers and city officials alike.
For this lunch and learn, GreenLink will address how International Plumbing Code and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation view water reuse. We will also touch on the recent increase in the City of Chattanooga’s water quality fees and how water recycling systems like ours can help local businesses earn credits and LEED points.
To learn more about green|spaces, visit greenspaceschattanooga.com.
Yesterday I attended Chattanooga’s public forum about storm water fees, and I learned exactly how personal this issue remains. People are rightfully concerned about this fee or tax (whatever you want to call it) that can threaten or damage the stability of their business.
Churches, non-profits, retail centers and many small businesses have been hit especially hard, due to the large amount of impervious surfaces on their property. If City Council can’t find a better way to move forward, GreenLink is more than willing to sit down with anyone to discuss how installing one of our rainwater systems can help you earn a credit.
We will examine your current water quality fees, analyze your property’s demands, and then recommend a system that will keep more water on your property (and less in the storm sewers). If we can save you money, we have done our job. If not, we will have at least shared our knowledge about water conservation and met a few good people along the way.
In my last post, I praised Chattanooga’s Climate Action Plan. Today’s post will examine how the city is encouraging smarter stormwater management by offering commercial developers incentives to harvest rainwater.
Like most cities, stormwater runoff is a problem in Chattanooga. After heavy rains, water collects on impervious pavements, like parking lots and driveways, and floods the storm sewers. Along the way, the water collects motor oil, pesticides, cigarette butts, gum wrappers and anything else that happens to be on the ground, sweeping all pollutants into the nearest lake, river or stream.
The city’s Water Quality Fee covers the costs to manage and reduce these pollutants. So in order to make everyone’s life a little easier, the good folks at the Public Works department have put together a number of incentives to encourage better runoff management and to help you save money on your annual Water Quality Fee.
If you own a commercial property, our rainwater systems can earn you a credit (as much as 75% in the first year and 50% thereafter) for capturing, storing, treating and redistributing the water. By doing so, you are helping to protect Chattanooga’s water supply. And, oh yeah, you are putting money back in your pocket too.
For a complete list of credits, go here. For a free rainwater system quote, go here. Once you provide us with your project specifications, we can make an accurate system recommendation. Heck, we’ll even help you complete those pesky government forms.
The city of Chattanooga has it all, from the Tennessee River to eclectic dining to a lively art scene. But that’s not all the city has to offer. Chattanooga’s mayor, citizens and government officials have taken it upon themselves to move the city toward a more sustainable future by developing a Climate Action Plan.
The Chattanooga Climate Action Plan represents a year’s worth of research, public input and the collaborative brainstorming of many dedicated individuals. Completed in January 2009, the report recommends actions to lower Chattanooga’s carbon footprint.
As part of this plan, the City of Chattanooga has implemented various conservation measures to improve the city’s water quality and protect the city’s water quantity. And to prove their commitment, Chattanooga has already modified their plumbing code to allow gray water to be reused in toilets and landscape irrigation systems.
